Field



(Modem H. E. GAULFIELD. Sewing Machine Case.

No. 233,327. Patented Oct, 19,1880.

fwmin/ WW fiat-1Z2 ow N. PETERS PHOTO UTHOGRAFRER. WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. UAULFIELD, OF VIENNA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SEWING-MACHINE CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,327, dated October19, 1880. Application filed May 28, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, HENRY ELLIs CAUL- FIELD, of the village ofVienna, in the county of Elgin, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machine Gases;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates to the combination of a writing-desk with thecase'of a sewing-machine; and it consists in combining with the case adrop-board hinged near the front and extending to near the back of thecase, a support to receive the same when lowered, a sewing-machine uponand adapted to be folded down on such drop-board, and a writing-deskhinged to the rear of the case, all as more fully hereinafter described.

The sewing-machine case, when used as a writing-desk, has the appearanceof a well-gotten-up article of furniture, having drawers in theleft-hand side drawing out in the front of the case, and an escritoirein the right-hand side, opening also to the front. In order to keep theheight of the desk suitable for writing upon when sitting upon anordinary chair, I have devised a drop-board, which, when the machine isin use, forms a portion of the top of the case, and of such dimensionsas to be fully covered by the desk when folded down, which drop-board ishinged near to the front and extends nearly to the back of the case, andfolds down in the back end, so that when the machine is turned backwardand on its side on the downwardly-sloping drop-board it is nearly levelwith the top of the case, a portion of the sole only of the machineappearing above the level, and this portion lies in the hollow chamberof the desk when the latter is in use. When the drop-board is raised toa level position it is locked or fastened in this position by anyappropriate bolt or fastening device.

I am aware that writing-desks have been made to form a part of the caseof a sewingmachine, and appearing as an article of furniture and for usein the household as such; but they have not been made as hereinafterdescribed as my invention.

In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicate thesame parts as in this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of my device, showing the case A and deskB broken away at its rear, but which is shown in position for use as awriting-desk; Fig. 2, a perspective view of my device, showing the caseA and sewing-machine O, the desk B being folded back as when thesewing-machine is in use, and leaving the sewing-machine work-tableentirely unobstructed by any portion of such desk, I) in Figs. 2 and 3indicating the hinge joint or line of connection of the desk with therear line of the table. Fig. 3 is a side view of my improvements,showing the case A with a portion of the end removed to show thedropboard D, the sewing-machine being turned over and resting on thesame and the dropboard resting upon a support, E, provided for thatpurpose.

The hinging of the drop-board D at the front permits the lowering ofsuch board and of the sewing-machine beneath the highest rather than alower part of the inclined lid of the desk, and consequentlyit need belowered but a short distance, and the turning over of the machinebackward instead of forward upon a drop-board so hinged reduces stillless the dis tance that the board must be lowered, and by these meansthere is but little liability of disturbing or dislodging thedriving-belt usually employed for driving the machine, while if thesupport were not employed the drop-board would swing to a verticalposition with great risk of falling suddenly and injuring the machine bybreaking it from-its hinges and of breaking the hinges of thedrop-board, and during all the period of such hanging or suspension theentire weight of the board and of the machine would be sustained by thehinges alone on which the board is hung. Besides, the slight inclinationof the drop-board, when resting on its support, allows the turned-downmachine to lie easily with but little strain upon its hinges.

1 am aware that a drop-board supporting a sewing-machine has been madeto hang vertically upon its hinges. This, therefore, I do not claim.

I am also aware that sewing-machines on fixed tables have been arrangedto be turned over to afl'ord easy access to the shuttle and othermechanism beneath their beds; but this I do not claim; but I am notaware that prior to my invention a case or cabinet for a combinedsewing-machine and desk has been made in which the desk part, when swungback, left the whole horizontal portion or bed of the sewing-machineclear of such desk from front to rear, nor in which the drop-board,which supports the sewing-machine, was hinged near the front of the caseand extended nearly to its back, and with the sewing-machine arranged tobe turned down backward upon the rear of said drop-board, whereby thedistance to which the board needs to be lowered in order to free themachine from the inclined lid of the desk is comparatively little, sothat the usual belt orcord which drives the machine is not likely to beconstantly dropping from its pulley whenever the drop-board is lowered.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a cabinet forsewing-machines, the combination, with the case A, of a drop-board, D,hinged near the front of and extending nearly to the back of the caseand adapted to be lowered at its rear, a projection or support, E, tosustain such board when lowered, a sewingmachine upon such drop-boardand adapted to be folded down thereon, and a writing-desk, B, hinged atthe extreme rear of the case, all as shown and described, and for thepurposes set forth.

HENRY ELLIS OAULF'I'ELD. Witnesses:

JOHN SECORD, CHAS. M. FOLEY.

